E57 —Dr. John M. de Figueiredo— Rejection is Just a Redirection: Life Lessons from a Strategy Professor

Dr. John M. de Figueiredo (Faculty Director, Duke Center for Institutional and Organizational Performance) has taught strategy, law, and economics at Duke for more than 14 years and has received 8 teaching awards. However, when trying to start his career in academia, he was rejected from every PhD program he applied for, all because someone lost his GRE answer sheet! In this episode, John discusses how rejections, constant setbacks, and serendipity have led him to new opportunities, such as becoming a consultant in Europe and working for the famous Michael Porter (creator of "Porter's Five Forces"). He also shares his insights on how firms should manage strategy implementation, how he trains students for the "real world", and how MBA graduates can be successful in both work and in their personal lives.This episode features questions submitted by David Shang (’24), Robertino Tucci (’24), and Rosa Mecklemburg (’24).Note: This is a student-run production. The opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers' own and do not reflect the view of Duke University, the Fuqua School of Business, or any organizations mentioned.